The McLeod Heart & Vascular Institute is providing a cure for cardiac patients who suffer from atrial fibrillation with a surgical procedure called MAZE.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an abnormality of the electrical system of the heart. It is a rapid beating of the upper chambers of the heart, which prevents the heart from pumping blood adequately to the lower chambers.

Some heart patients may not be aware of being in atrial fibrillation. Others are aware of exactly when their heart changed from a normal rhythm to AF. My patients describe the feeling of AF as their heart is skipping or fluttering, or most commonly that their heart is racing. AF can be accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, chest pain, dizziness, fainting, and extreme fatigue.

Because AF is so unpredictable, patients who suffer from it are often hesitant to travel or commit to social engagements. Those with regular episodes find themselves frequently in the hospital. AF accounts for one third of all patient discharges from the hospital when atrial fibrillation is the primary diagnosis.

A variety of conditions can lead to AF. The most common cause is aging. By age 75, twenty-five percent of all people are going to be in AF. The risk for AF increases as we grow older dues to the heart's electrical system, in simple terms, getting worn out and going into chaotic rhythms.

Atrial fibrillation results in an irregular heartbeat that may be too slow at times and racing at others. The abnormal flow of blood through the upper chamber increases the risk of stroke. AF is the number one cardiac cause for stroke. When a person is in AF, blood can pool in the heart, since it's not pumping correctly, creating a site for blood clot formation. When the heart comes out of AF the heart squeezes that clot out into the blood vessels, which could cause a stroke.

The MAZE procedure is a surgical intervention for heart patients whose AF cannot be controlled by medications or for those who are undergoing open-heart surgery for other reasons. MAZE cures AF by interrupting the electrical patterns that are responsible for the irregular heartbeat.

With the MAZE procedure, a McLeod Cardiovascular Surgeon using a radiofrequency probe, will make burn lesion areas in the heart tissue without damaging the heart. These lesions placed in strategic areas of the upper chambers of the heart redirects the electrical pattern.

The scar tissue generated by the lesions permanently blocks the electrical travel route and helps redirect the electrical flow. This surgery helps the heart pump in a normal way.

Patients with AF are likely to be on a blood thinning medication. After a MAZE procedure, we will keep patients on medications such as Coumadin for three months during the remodeling process of the heart to help prevent any reoccurrence of AF.